Mobile shops roll ahead as alternative to brick and mortar

LAS VEGAS (BRAIN) — Robert Provost, the CEO of Florida electric bike maker ProdecoTech, says he can lower a retailer’s overhead — to less than 9 feet.

That’s the height of a specially equipped and wrapped Ford van that ProdecoTech is rolling out as a mobile e-bike sales and service store. The company is offering the vans for a new retail franchise program that it launched Wednesday at Interbike.

“We noticed as the year was going on that some dealers were not doing well and were closing up shop,” Provost said. “Talking to a lot of dealers out there, you just hear over and over that a lot of them are struggling.”

The company is offering a three-tier franchise program, with initial investments starting at zero and going up to $65,000.

The vans are meant to be a turnkey operation and are stocked with a full-service bike repair station and a minimum of six e-bikes. The company asks that franchisees also maintain a small storage unit where they can keep a few other bikes in stock.

Because demos are a crucial part of the e-bike sales process, Provost envisions that franchisees will use the vans to host demos in local neighborhoods …read more